Texts A&C Communication & Culture and Communication

Pre-reading Activities:

1. How important do you think communication is?
   

2. What do you think about the relationship between culture and communication?
   

3. How do you understand the simile "Culture and communication are said to be like Siamese twins(连体婴儿)"?
   

Text A Study:

Read Text A through Page 40 to Page 44 to get the key idea of the text. The following is the text audio for your reference.

While you are reading, try to figure out the following questions:

1. What is the title of Text A? How do you understand it?

2. Please write down the subtitles in Text A and make clear the structure in the text.

3. Read Text A, and underline the content that you think are important.

4. According to the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, what is the definition of "communication"?

5. How does communication differ from Eastern culture to Western culture?

6. How many components of communication are there? What are they? And what is the definition and what is the function of each component?

• Please list the components of communication one by one.

• What is sender/source? Underline the key words that you think are very important.

• What is message? Underline the key words that you think are very important.

• What is encoding? What is decoding? What is/are the difference(s) between them?

• What is channel? Underline the key words that you think are very important.

• What is receiver? Underline the key words that you think are very important.
  

• What is feedback? Underline the key words that you think are very important.

• What is noise? How many kinds noise are listed? What different types of noise might occur in the process of communication? Could you give an example to explain them one be one? When you've clearly known what noise is in communication and what different types of nose are, you are supposed to finish the Activity: Match-up on Page 43.

• What is context? Underline the key words that you think are very important.

7. Look at the picture in the Activity: Picture Analysis on Page 44, and try to analyze the components reflected in a classroom.

8. Among all the components of communication, which one or which ones do you think may interfere with the receiving or decoding the message? Have a try to make detailed analysis of the interference in communication.

9. Please draw a flowchart to illustrate how communication takes place. You are supposed to share your flowchart with the class.

Now please watch the mini-lecture which aims to help you better understand the key points in the text.

Text C Study: 

Read Text C through Page 53 to Page 54 to get the key idea of this text. The following is the text audio for your reference.

Find out the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the title of Text C?

2. What is the relationship between culture and communication?

3. Why would there be cultural misunderstanding?

4. What is communication style? And what do you know about it?

5. How does culture affect its communication styles?

6. Differentiate the following key points: mannerism, ritual, custom, norm and mores.

After-reading Check:

Cultural Notes:

Do you know what Confucian tradition (Confucianism) is? Please read the following material concerning Confucianism, and try to answer the following questions.

Societies heavily influenced today by Confucian history or tradition are China, North and South Korea, Singapore, and many East Asian countries with large Chinese communities.

Confucius set up an ethical-moral system intended ideally to govern all relationships in the family, communityand state. Confucius taught that society was made up of five relationships: those between ruler and subjects, husband and wife, father and son, elder and younger brother, friend and friend.

Three of these five bases of relations occur within the family. The regulating factors in family relationships are extended to the whole community and state.

Confucianism emphasizes virtue, selfless, duty, patriotism, hard work and respect for hierarchy. Confucianism reinforces its lessons about people who represent particular virtues.

Confucianism guides social relationships, “To live in harmony with the universe and with your fellow man through proper behavior.” Confucianism considers balance and harmony in human relationships to be the basis of society.

After-reading Check:

Now you've finished studying Text A and Text C, have you mastered the key points in this text? If the answer is yes, then you are ready to study the next text. Congratulations!